The role of the human scalp is to protect the head. As a result, it is the first point of contact with various agents that might cause scalp discomfort, particularly itching. Scalp itch and dryness are exceedingly common scalp conditions affecting almost half of the population at the post-pubertal age and of any sex and ethnicity. Causes of this common condition are multi-factorial. Dry skin of the scalp is the most common cause of itchy, flaking scalp. Irritated, oily scalp (ie seborrheic dermatitis) is another frequent cause of this common symptom triad. In addition, not shampooing often enough (common in patients with chemically treated hair) often causes these symptoms because oil and skin cells from your scalp build up, causing itching and flaking. Psoriasis and eczema patients often note these common scalp symptoms. Moreover, sensitivity to hair care products including hair straighteners and dye can cause a red, itchy, scaling scalp. In this case, shampooing too often with products not designed for color treated or straightened hair, may irritate the scalp, causing the above symptoms (reviewed in mayoclinic.com). Examples of treatment methods are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,316,810, 7,700,081, JP62205010, JP61183209, WO2005030152.
Concurrently and notably, the global market (professional and at home) for hair color is about $12B (Euromonitor) and growing. P&G claims that 92% of women in developed markets have colored their hair at some point. The beauty industry claims that number is about 80%. In addition, the hair straightening market is growing exponentially with the advent of milder no-lye straighteners safe for all hair types.
Paradoxically, shampoos and conditioners are historically formulated with the sulfate surfactant sodium lauryl sulfate and/or sodium laureth sulfate as well as sodium chloride, which is used to adjust the product's viscosity. However, as the prevalence of consumers with ‘treated hair’ (ie. colored and/or chemically straightened) has grown, consumers, stylists, and physicians have noted that this subset cannot use the available hair products (shampoos, conditioners, etc) on the global market because the sulfates and sodium chloride used to clean the hair, have been shown to produce dry, brittle, frizzy hair and prematurely strip hair color and chemical straighteners.